Individuals, as well as families and other groups of individuals, are increasingly generating and storing large collections of media data files, such as data files of media data including but not limited to photos, videos and audio and related rich media data, in digital form. These media data files are captured using multiple computer devices and are stored in multiple computer storage systems, including but not limited to non-removable storage devices in computers, removable storage devices, online storage systems accessible by computers over computer networks, and online services, such as social media accounts. Such media data are also being transmitted and shared among individuals through multiple transmission and distribution channels. The large volume of media data, and distribution of media data files among multiple different storage systems, and multiple transmission and distribution channels, can make overall management, administration, retrieval and use of media data files both difficult and time consuming for individuals or groups of individuals. While some systems can index large volumes of media data, such systems generally are limited to processing the media data itself or to responding to explicit user instructions so as to generate metadata about the media data or about the media data files. As a result, management, administration, retrieval and use of such media data files also is limited generally to the metadata available for the media data and the media data files.